How to Quickly Thaw Your Turkey

Many people buy frozen turkeys for Thanksgiving. This is a great way to get your bird early and keep it fresh for the big day, but the catch is that a frozen turkey can require several days of thawing in the fridge—and you have to remember to remove it from the freezer. Many people forget how long it takes to let the turkey defrost, but luckily Thomas Joseph shows you a handy way to quickly thaw the bird in a pinch in the video above.

Thawing the Turkey Ahead of Time

The best way to thaw a turkey is to leave the bird breast side up in the fridge on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any juices). The basic rule of thumb is for every four pounds of turkey, you should allow one full day to defrost in the fridge. Thomas Joseph uses a 12-pound turkey, so his would take three days to properly thaw.

Thawing the Turkey In a Pinch

However, many don't realize how long a turkey can actually take to properly defrost. If you've forgotten to defrost the bird ahead of time, don't panic! You can still thaw it with this trick. Pour cold water into a large pot and place the turkey breast side down in cold water. You can do this in the sink or in a cooler just as long as you completely cover the turkey in water. If you need to, weigh down the bird with a heavy baking dish. The water must be changed every thirty minutes. The 12-pound turkey in the video would take about six hours to thaw, because this trick requires around 30 minutes per pound.

Watch the video above to learn how to quickly thaw your turkey. Then, check out the slideshow below to discover 5 common Thanksgiving mistakes, and how to avoid them!